Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART LXVIII
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do ; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:3-12).
In the last post we discussed how the United Nations, being a rather secular organization made up of likely non secular personnel, promotes the teachings of the Christ with little or no mention of God and without religion. This is necessary because the differing views by the people of the world concerning God and the different treatment of God by the various world religions are generally a source of strife and of divisiveness. There are likely some who take issue with this attitude and who would contend that God should be represented and, of course, it should be the version of God that the dissenter holds True. This is precisely the reason to leave the idea of God out of the outward portrayal of this world organization while at the same time adhering to the principals of Love and GoodWill as they are expressed by most every True religion. We took note of the fact that the GoodWill expressed by the United Nations and the sense of philanthropy that covers its outward expression through the activities of agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Programme go far in expressing the intent of the Master who tells us plainly that it is in the way that we treat our neighbor and our brethren that illustrates how we treat our God. To repeat just the end verse of each section in our selected text from yesterday:
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).
Then shall he answer them, saying , Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45).
Again we should see here that the Master repeats His words from both the positive and the negative perspective so that the message is abundantly clear yet, like much of what the Master says that can be directly understood, these ideas have not taken hold in the interrelationships between men including many who profess their ‘faith’ in Christ. Another example of a secular appearing person and organization came to my attention in today’s news of the death of Paul Kurtz who is known as a philosopher and skeptic. The Associated Press had this to say on Mr. Kurtz:
Paul Kurtz, who founded an international center devoted to debunking psychics and UFOs and promoting science and reason over what he viewed as religious myths, has died. He was 86…..A prolific author and organizer, Kurtz also founded the not-for-profit Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and Council for Secular Humanism, as well as the secular humanist magazine Free Inquiry and Skeptical Inquirer magazine, which takes on such topics as alien sightings, paranormal claims and homeopathic remedies. Most recently, he formed the Institute for Science and Human Values.,,,,,A compilation of Kurtz essays published by Bupp in June describes Kurtz’s theory of eupraxsophy, which he first envisioned in 1988 as a secular moral alternative to religion that met some of the social needs served by religions without the supernaturalism or authoritarianism of traditional faiths…..At a January UNESCO conference in Paris, Kurtz spoke on “neo-humanism” and the positives of unbelief. Kurtz wasn’t anti-religious, Bupp said, but nonreligious……”Neo-humanists do not believe in God, yet they wish to do good. But if this moral outlook is to prevail, then neo-humanisms need to concentrate on improving the things of this world rather than simply combating the illusions of supernaturalism,” Kurtz said at the conference. (Associated Press; October 22. 2012).
Of note here is that Mr. Kurtz is much like us; he eschews the ways of the traditional faiths although likely for different reasons and he abhors the common presentation of the paranormal and the supernatural whether in or out of the church environment. For Mr. Kurtz, he preferred his own progressive philosophy and science while holding out the fact in his teachings of his moral alternative to religion and the practice of practical GoodWill. Here again we have the secular taking on a spiritual role by way of what is done, what is accomplished, and not on the popular interpretation of what is said which interpretation is inevitably made by those who do not agree.
To further emphasize our point we refer again to a parable, this one is the Parable of The Two Sons which we covered in some detail and from a different perspective in In the Words of Jesus part 135. The parable goes thus:
“A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:28-31).
The common understanding here is that the Master is speaking to the Pharisees and this is True but we must remember that this IS a parable and there are likely many meanings the least important of which is generally the most evident. If we look at this from the perspective of organized religion which is the way that the Pharisees would have to see it, and if we bring this forward to today, we should be able to see the likes of Mr. Kurtz and of the organization that we call the United Nations. From the churches’ perspective these are the son that said NO to the request of the Lord, they do not and will not follow the precepts of the organized religions but in the end the do the Will of the Lord by their actions on the world stage concerning the Love and the brotherhood taught by the Christ which is epitomized in our word GoodWill. From this same perspective we have the son who says YES to the request of the Lord and who ‘devotes’ himself to the precepts of organized religion but who does not do the Will of the Lord by their actions on the world stage concerning the Love and the brotherhood taught by the Christ which is epitomized in our word GoodWill; their actions are separatist and self centered around their particular beliefs. Looking at this from our own perspective here and now, who are the Pharisees and who are the publicans and the harlots?
As we approach United Nations Day on Wednesday we post again the quote from the United Nations Charter that we discussed yesterday. Article 1, part 3 tells us that: The Purposes of the United Nations are:…3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and…. . While there are individuals and nations involved in this work that are not Truly in tune with these ideals and who act in a more normal selfish human manner, this does not and should not detract from the ideals expressed by the organization and it is likely that by there very participation, these individuals will creep closer to the ideals and if they do not embrace them, perhaps their successors will. It is in this hope that we will find success.
Today we present commentary on the Millennium Goals Progress which we first discussed in In the Words of Jesus part 470. The preface of the 2012 Progress Report says:
The report presents the yearly assessment of global progress towards the MDGs, highlighting several milestones – three important MDG targets have been met well ahead of the target date of 2015. The report says that meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, remain possible – but only if Governments do not waiver from their commitments made over a decade ago.
Based on a master set of data compiled by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG indicators led by DESA’s Statistics Division, the 2012 report outlines gains in poverty reduction and access to safe drinking water, and an improvement in the lives of slums dwellers in urban areas. The report also highlights important gains towards gender parity in primary education, a decline in levels of child mortality, a downward trend of tuberculosis and global malaria deaths and an expansion of treatment for HIV sufferers.
For the first time since records on poverty began, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen in every developing region, including sub-Saharan Africa. Preliminary estimates indicate that the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 per day fell in 2010 to less than half the 1990 rate and during the same period over two billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources. The share of slum dwellers in urban areas declined from 39 per cent in 2000 to 33 per cent in 2012, improving the lives of at least 100 million people.
A lot has been achieved and significant strides have been made, however some impediments to reaching all the MDGs by 2015 remain. The 2012 report spells out that recent natural disasters and the global financial crisis has slowed progress and that inequality remains. A particular area of concern includes the slow decrease in levels of vulnerable employment, defined as the share of unpaid family workers and own-account workers in total employment.
Lastly, and perhaps most concerning is the fact that hunger remains a global challenge. The most recent FAO estimate of undernourishment set the mark at 850 million living in hunger in the world in the 2006/08 period, 15.5 per cent of the world population. Additionally, progress has also been slow in reducing child under-nutrition, with close to a third of children in Southern Asia deemed underweight in 2010.
The foreword to the report follows; this report is available in its entirety from: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/Static/Products/Progress2012/English2012.pdf
Foreword
This year’s report on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) highlights several milestones. The target of reducing extreme poverty by half has been reached fve years ahead of the 2015 deadline, as has the target of halving the proportion of people who lack dependable access to improved sources of drinking water. Conditions for more than 200 million people living in slums have been ameliorated—double the 2020 target. Primary school enrolment of girls equalled that of boys, and we have seen accelerating progress in reducing child and maternal mortality.
Achieving the MDGs by 2015 is challenging but possible. Much depends on the fulflment of MDG-8—the global partnership for development. The current economic crises besetting much of the developed world must not be allowed to decelerate or reverse the progress that has been made. Let us build on the successes we have achieved so far, and let us not relent until all the MDGs have been attained.
These results represent a tremendous reduction in human suffering and are a clear validation of the approach embodied in the MDGs. But, they are not a reason to relax. Projections indicate that in 2015 more than
600 million people worldwide will still be using unimproved water sources, almost one billion will be living on an income of less than $1.25 per day, mothers will continue to die needlessly in childbirth, and children will suffer and die from preventable diseases. Hunger remains a global challenge, and ensuring that all children are able to complete primary education remains a fundamental, but unfulflled, target that has an impact on all the other Goals. Lack of safe sanitation is hampering progress in health and nutrition, biodiversity loss continues apace, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to pose a major threat to people and ecosystems.
The goal of gender equality also remains unfulflled, again with broad negative consequences, given that achieving the MDGs depends so much on women’s empowerment and equal access by women to education, work, health care and decision-making. We must also recognize the unevenness of progress within countries and regions, and the severe inequalities that exist among populations, especially between rural and urban areas.
Achieving the MDGs by 2015 is challenging but possible. Much depends on the fulflment of MDG-8—the global partnership for development. The current economic crises besetting much of the developed world must not be allowed to decelerate or reverse the progress that has been made. Let us build on the successes we have achieved so far, and let us not relent until all the MDGs have been attained.
Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General, United Nations
As we should be able to see here this project was a daunting task for the United Nations and the world to take on but with so many millions of our brothers and sisters living out their lives in form in ways that are unimaginable to us here is the West, it is a task of necessity. As we have proceeded through the first twelve years progress has been made but there is yet much to do as the preface and the foreward here suggest and we might add here that from a spiritual perspective the ability for any Soul to express himself through form is greatly enhanced when the Life and consciousness in form is not totally preoccupied with survival of the self and family.
|
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Way |
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.:
So that we do not forget that the reality of this ALL is still LOVE which is our Truth regardless of whatever other realizations may come to us in Life, we present here again the Apostle Paul’s words followed by our own understanding of this reality:
….but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
The first of all the commandments is, Hear , O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these
(Mark 12:29-31)
We should remember always to link to this Greatest Commandment that other saying of the Master that gives to us the practical understanding of how to love one’s self plus the practical instruction on how it is that we CAN Love our neighbour; He tells us:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them
(Matthew 7:12)
Unlike so much of the Master’s sayings that come to us in the form of parables and for which we can only surmise that we have the spiritual presence to understand, these sayings are very straightforward and they are the key to many of the promises of spiritual life; they are the very key to the Kingdom of God. To these sayings we add our adopted definition of the Greek word agape (agapao) which is translated into the English words Love and Charity and which is:
‘In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men’
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- ** United Nations Website: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html
- *** Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
